Water vehicle

ABSTRACT

An underwater vehicle is disclosed which is intended for use by scuba divers and underwater swimmers. The vehicle has a streamlined, elongated body which the rider mounts in prone position. The vehicle is propeller driven by a battery powered electric motor, and is steered by a single control member which effects right, left, upward, downward and rolling vehicular movement.

United States Patent Goudy [451 Mar. 21, 1972 [54] WATER VEHICLE [72]Inventor: Clarence H. Goudy, 8440 Pillsbury Avenue S., Minneapolis,Minn. 55420 [22] Filed: Nov. 5, 1969 21 Appl. No.: 874,331

[52] U.S.Cl. ..1l4/16A 51 1nt.Cl ..B63g 8/00 [58] Field otSearch ..114/16, 16A; 244/83 B, 83

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,374 2/1949 Walls"244/83 13 2,918,889 12/1959 Rebikoff ..1 14/16 A PrimaryExaminer-Trygve M. Blix Att0rneyMerchant & Gould 57 ABSTRACT Anunderwater vehicle is disclosed which is intended for use by scubadivers and underwater swimmers. The vehicle has a streamlined, elongatedbody which the rider mounts in prone position. The vehicle is propellerdriven by a battery powered electric motor, and is steered by a singlecontrol member which effects right, left, upward, downward and rollingvehicular movement.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMARZI I972 3.650234 sum 1 [IF 2 INVENTOR. Cmnmc: /1 501107 AT TOR/V! 3 PAIENIEUMARZI 1912 3,650,234

SHEET 2 [1F 2 INVENTOR CLARENCE ff. Gouvy BY Ww AT TORNIYS WATER VEHICLEThe invention is related to underwater vehicles, specifically of thetype which scuba divers and underwater swimmers mount and ride in aprone position. Existing underwater vehicles consist of an elongatedbody upon which the rider lies, planing wings or elevators for effectingupward and downward movement of the vehicle and a rudder for guiding thevehicle to the right and left. Some prior art devices includesindependently operating planing members that can be rotated in oppositedirections to cause rolling of the vehicle about its longitudinal axis.

Various devices are used to control the position and direction taken bythe water vehicle. However, since three degrees of vehicular movementare possible, complete control of the vehicle has required a pluralityof control devices. My invention resides in a single steering devicecapable of independently effecting all three vehicular movements. Theinvention enables an underwater rider to have simple but completecontrol of his vehicle through actuation of the single device, thusenabling him to give attention to matters other than control of thevehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front perspective view ofan underwater vehicle having a single steering mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the underwater vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the underwater vehicle with the cover removed,showing the control mechanism and power train;

FIG. 4 is a detailed top view of the rudder control mechanism of theunderwater vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the propeller and rudder of the underwatervehicle; I

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the steering mechanism of theunderwater vehicle; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the steering mechanism takenalong line 77 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring initially to FIG. 1and 2, an underwater vehicle is represented generally by the numeral 11.Vehicle 11 consists of a dolphin-shaped, elongated body 12 having adelta wing 13 and a horizontal tail 14. Body 12 is preferably made ofFiberglas or a similar substance, and includes "sufficient buoyantmaterial to permit the vehicle to float while fully loaded and equipped.Body 12 has a removable top 19 formed with a flat area shown at 15 whichenables a rider to lie comfortably in a riding position. Tail 14 has apair of stirrups 16 into which the rider places his heels to maintainthe riding position. The construction of stirrups 14 also enables therider to wear swim fins while riding the vehicle.

A pair of wing members 17 are rotatably mounted on body 12 for governingupward and downward movement of the vehicle. As discussed below, wingmembers 17 can be rotated in opposite directions to effect rollingmovement of the vehicle about its longitudinal axis. A rudder 18 isrotatably mounted on a shaft 53 between a frame 27 and body 12 to guidethe vehicle to the right and left. Disposed immediately in front ofrudder 18 is a propeller 21 which is mounted on a drive shaft 22 forpropelling the vehicle. Drive shaft 22 is journaled in frame 27, whichalso supports a guard ring 23 surrounding propeller 21.

A single steering member 24 having handles 25 on either side of body 12is provided to control all movements of wing members 17 and rudder 18.As will be seen below, steering member 24 extends through body 12 in asingle piece and is freely movable in all directions. Resilient bellows26 act as a seal between body 12 and steering member 24.

FIG. 3 shows the underwater vehicle with the top 19 of body 12 removed.Disposed inside is an electric motor 31 which is particularly suited formarine use and can be totally submerged without damage. Motor 31 isoperatively connected to drive shaft 22 in order to propel the vehicle.A conventional storage battery 32 supplies the power to motor 31 througha moistureproof relay 33, which is in turn actuated by a switch 34housed in the right handle 25 of steering member 24.

As best seen in FIG. 6, each of the wing members 17 is mounted on ashaft 41, each of which is independently journaled in bearings 42 and 43of a support frame 44. Mounted on each of the shafts 41 is a pulley 45which is used to rotate its respective wing member 17. As mounted, thewing members 17 are capable of coplanar rotation to effect upward anddownward movement of the vehicle, or opposite rotational movement tocause rolling of the vehicle about its longitudinal axis.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a cross support member 51 is con nected to apair of support members 20 that extend the length of body 12, and servesas an inner frame support for tail 14. Also connected to support members20 is a frame 52 which houses the control mechanism for rudder 18. Adrive pulley 54 is mounted at the extreme top end of shaft 53, which isjournaled in frame 52, andoperates in association with a pair of idlerpulleys 55 which are also carried by frame 52. A cable 56 is broughtinto tension around idler pulleys 55 and drive pulley 54, and asdiscussed below, its movement causes rotation of rudder 18 for right andleft movement of the vehicle.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a sterring mechanism for the underwatervehicle is shown to be housed in a frame 61, which is in turn carried bysupport members 20. A pair of elongated bolts 62 connect frame 44 withframe 61 and maintain alignment therebetween. Frame 61 also carries apair of independently rotating shafts 63, each of which is alsojournaled in a bearing block 64. Each rotating shaft 63 carries a pulley65 and a bevel gear 66, with belt 67 connecting each of the pulleys 65with the respective wing member pulleys 45.

Also journaled in bearing block 64 is a bifurcated member 68 whichcarries a bevel gear 69 commonly meshed with the two bevel gears 66.Steering member 24 is pivotally mounted between the bifurcations ofmember 68 by means of a pin 71. Connected to each of the ends of cable56 is a threaded member 72 which extends through steering member 24 andis drawn tight by a nut 73.

In operation, movement of steering member 24 about the axis of pin 71effects movement of rudder 18 through cable 56, idler pulleys 55 anddrive pulley 54, to guide the vehicle to the right and left. Movement ofsteering member 24 about the axis of rotating shafts 63 causes bevelgear 69 to carry each of the bevel gears 66 with it, thus effectingcoplanar movement of wings 17 by virtue of pulleys 65, pulleys 45 andbelts 67, which results in upward and downward movement of the vehicle.

Rotation of steering member 24 about the axis of bifurcated member 68causes bevel gear 69 to rotate bevel gears 66 in opposite directions,which in turn causes opposed rotation of wings 17. This movement enablesthe vehicle to roll clockwise or counter clockwise about itslongitudinal axis, depending on the direction steering member 24 isrotated.

Thus, the single steering member 24 gives the rider complete control ofthe underwater vehicle through the upward, downward, right, left androlling movements it governs, as well as starting and stopping of motor31 by switch 26.

What I claim is:

1. An underwater vehicle comprising:

a. an elongated body constructed for external mounting and riding in aprone position;

b. power means for propelling the vehicle through the water;

c. first operating means for effecting upward and downward movement ofthe vehicle;

d. second operating means for effecting right and left movement of thevehicle;

e. third operating means for effecting rolling movement of the vehicleabout its longitudinal axis; and

f. steering means for independently operating the first,

second and third means, comprising: i. a steering member capable ofrotation about first, second and third commonly perpendicular axes, the

third axis being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, thesecond axis lying in a plane of upward and downward movement, and thefirst axis lying in a plane of right and left movement; and ii. motiontranslating means comprising:

1. a frame carried by the elongated body;

2. a central bearing member;

3. first and second independently rotating members journaled in theframe and commonly journaled in the central bearing member, the firstand second rotating members disposed for rotation about the first axis;

4. a third rotating member journaled in the central member and disposedfor rotation about the third axis;

5. the steering member connected to the third rotating member forpivotal movement about the first axis;

6. first and second gears mounted on the first and second rotatablemembers, respectively;

7. a third gear mounted on the third rotating member and commonly meshedwith the first and second gears;

. first connecting means operatively connecting the first and secondshafts with the first and third operating means;

9. and second connecting means operatively connecting the steeringmember with the second operating means.

. The underwater vehicle as defined by claim 1, wherein: the first andthird operating means comprise first and second wing members mounted forindependent rotation on the elongated body, the wing members beingcoplanarly rotatable for said upward and downward movement andoppositely rotatable for said rolling movement;

. and the first connecting means comprises The underwater vehicle asdefined by claim 1, wherein: the third operating means comprises arudder rotatably carried by the elongated body;

. and the second connecting means comprises cable means operativelyconnecting the steering member with the rudder.

1. Amn underwater vehicle comprising: a. an elongated body constructedfor external mounting and riding in a prone position; b. power means forpropelling the vehicle through the water; c. first operating means foreffecting upward and downward movement of the vehicle; d. secondoperating means for effecting right and left movement of the vehicle; e.third operating means for effecting rolling movement of the vehicleabout its longitudinal axis; and f. steering means for independentlyoperating the first, second and third means, comprising: i. a steeringmember capable of rotation about first, second and third commonlyperpendicular axes, the third axis being parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle, the second axis lying in a plane of upward anddownward movement, and the first axis lying in a plane of right and leftmovement; and ii. motion translating means comprising:
 1. a framecarried by the elongated body;
 2. a central bearing member;
 3. first andsecond independently rotating members journaled in the frame andcommonly journaled in the central bearing member, the first and secondrotating members disposed for rotation about the first axis;
 4. a thirdrotating member journaled in the central member and disposed forrotation about the third axis;
 5. the steering member connected to thethird rotating member for pivotal movement about the first axis; 6.first and second gears mounted on the first and second rotatablemembers, respectively;
 7. a third gear mounted on the third rotatingmember and commonly meshed with the first and second gears;
 8. firstconnecting means operatively connecting the first and second shafts withthe first and third operating means;
 9. and second connecting meansoperatively connecting the steering member with the second operatingmeans.
 2. a central bearing member;
 2. The underwater vehicle as definedby claim 1, wherein: a. the first and third operating means comprisefirst and second wing members mounted for independent rotation on theelongated body, the wing members being coplanarly rotatable for saidupward and downward movement and oppositely rotatable for said rollingmovement; b. and the first connecting means comprises i. first andsecond pulleys mounted for rotation with the first and second wingmembers, respectively; ii. third and fourth pulleys mounted for rotationwith the first and second rotating members, respectively; iii. a firstbelt operatively connecting the first and third pulleys; iv. and asecond belt operatively connecting the second and fourth pulleys.
 3. Theunderwater vehicle as defined by claim 1, wherein: a. the thirdoperating means comprises a rudder rotatably carried by the elongatedbody; b. and the second connecting means comprises cable meansoperatively connecting the steering member with the rudder.
 3. first andsecond independently rotating members journaled in the frame andcommonly journaled in the central bearing member, the first and secondrotating members disposed for rotation about the first axis;
 4. a thirdrotating member journaled in the central member and disposed forrotation about the third axis;
 5. the steering member connected to thethird rotating member for pivotal movement about the first axis; 6.first and second gears mounted on the first and second rotatablemembers, respectively;
 7. a third gear mounted on the third rotatingmember and commonly meshed with the first and second gears;
 8. firstconnecting means operatively connecting the first and second shafts withthe first and third operating means;
 9. and second connecting meansoperatively connecting the steering member with the second operatingmeans.